South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Employment, Councillor Erica Williams, has welcomed the announcement that Government funding has been agreed for the construction of a new, Special Free School, to be co-located at the Marlwood School site in Alveston.
Cllr Williams said: “I am delighted that the Department for Education has now confirmed the funding for Two Bridges Special Free School so we can provide further access to high quality educational facilities for children with special educational needs and disabilities in the local area.
“Raising educational standards is our top priority and the new 112 place school will provide additional local capacity for children and young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties, autism and severe learning difficulties.
“In order to deliver the new school, we’ll be working alongside Enable Trust, the Castle Schools Education Trust and the Department for Education who will project manage all aspects of the procurement, design and build. It’s fantastic news and means that it’s all systems go to deliver this new, special free school for local South Gloucestershire children.”
It is planned that Two Bridges will welcome the first intake of primary aged children in 2022 and will be the second special free school to open in South Gloucestershire. Pegasus School, sponsored by South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, was the first to open in September 2017 and provides 80 places for children with a diagnosis of autism.
